The Ties
by TheStrugglingWriter
Summary: Always thought it was strange that there isn't more of these crossovers... A retelling of Fire Emblem Awakening with the addition of the few new twists. The first few chapters will focus on Lucina and the Dragonborn. This is my first fan fiction so there are going to be mistakes and parts that will not be well written. Criticism is welcome.
1. A turn in destiny

Fire and smoke was everywhere, the ground and trees were burning which lit up the night with a haunting orange and yellow glow. The very air seemed to be burning; chasms had opened up the landscape, tearing it apart. Balls of burning fire had erupted through the chasms spreading the flames throughout all the landscape. Finally, the inferno was beginning to die off. All that remained in the burning landscape were two figures, surrounded by smoke. There was one standing over the other, a sword aimed at the person laying on the ground face up. It was eerily quiet; all that could be heard was the crackling sounds of the dwindling fires that burned throughout the forest. Eventually the person standing would break the silence.

"Who are you?"

This caught the person laying on the ground off guard and so the silence continued. This was terribly confusing for the person on the ground since he did not know where he was or what the other person was saying, _'Huh... I'm usually the one on top, but this woman! HAH! But back to the matter at hand, of which she has the upper hand. I don't understand her language but I do understand that if I don't respond, I may end up with a bit more iron inside my body than I would care for.'_ Holding still, as to not to give her any reason to attack, the man spoke, "Drem braan, Zu'u los Copper. Zu'u seik hi nid aax ful lingrah ol hi seik zey nid aax."

The female grew tense with each passing word and seemed surprised by the language this man was speaking. "What language is that?" She shouted while inching her sword closer to his neck, "Do you understand me? I need an answer, or by Naga I will strike you down!" The raise in volume had dramatically escalated the situation and now both figures were on edge.

' _I have no idea what she is shouting about and I don't think she can understand me... What language is this anyway? Hmmm, let me think. The Dwemmer had a theory about language and universal gestures, something to do with their dimensional traveling or some other crazy muck. But, I guess it's time to put those theories to the test, otherwise… well I've had a decent run.'_ The man slowly moved his right arm, placed it on his chest and said, "Copper" in a calm _,_ and gentle voice.

The woman remained quiet, as if debating whether to reply with words or end this right here and now. After a few seconds, she mirrored what Copper did, and with the same tone said, "Marth".

Copper gave a small nod to show that he had heard her, ' _So Marth is her name, I've never heard of it before. Well then again, I have never heard of her language either. Maybe it's fairly common or perhaps she's not telling me her real name.'_

With the introductions complete, Copper slowly took his time in standing up, all the while Marth kept her sword at the ready if he tried anything. Every motion Copper made was steady and slow, but eventually, he removed his sword from its sheath and his shield from his back, and placed them both on the ground. He slowly stood up and took a few steps back, _'I hope Marth understands that I mean no harm, and I really hope that she puts her blasted sword away.'_

Coppers actions were clear to Marth, and with caution she asked, "You are surrendering? That's a relief, listen, I don't know who sent you or how you got here, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you have good intentions." After a few moments of silence, Marth sighed and grumbled to herself, "and yet you don't understand me, do you?"

Copper got the impression that Marth had just asked another question, which made no sense to him. Not knowing what to do or say, he just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, he was obviously confused.

Marth was frustrated _, 'He really doesn't understand anything I'm saying, I don't know what else to do? This language barrier is going to make it impossible to communicate effectively. I've wasted too much time here as it is. I need to go and look for the others, I doubt that they would have ventured much farther away than where I am now._

Returning her sword to its sheath, Marth gave one more cautious glance at Copper before turning around to leave, but the sounds of Copper picking up his sword and shield was enough cause for Marth to turn around and draw her sword once more. This caused Copper to drop his sword and shield once more, jump back, and bring his arms up ready to defend himself.

With the atmosphere once again tense, Marth took note of Copper's reaction, _'He must have combat experience, but his sword and armor give that away.'_

For Copper this situation was both unexpected, unbearable, and unwelcomed, _'What did I do wrong? I know she doesn't trust me, but she is relentless with pointing her sword at me. Well I wouldn't trust a stranger either, especially one whom doesn't speak the same language and not knowing their intentions. However, I'm nice enough … I think. I can't afford to lose this person now. I have no idea where I am, and I need a little bit of help, and this person might be my best bet, after all she hasn't attacked me… yet, so she probably isn't… violent….hopefully.'_

After a while, Marth sheathed her sword, which was the cue for Copper to breathe a sigh of relief and relax. Marth watched as Copper returned his sword to his scabbard and placed his shield securely to his back. Once he was done, Copper took a step forward, which caused Marth to take a step back and place a hand on her sword. Before taking another step Copper gestured with his two fingers on both hands, as if two people were walking together side by side. _'By the Divines, this is embarrassing but I hope that Marth got the message that I want to travel with her.'_

 _Marth had never seen that gesture before but she figured it out. 'Does he... want to follow me? What would my father do? Well that's obvious, he would let them tag along, but this is different. I can't afford to keep an eye on this person, but until I find the others it would be good to have someone to watch my back. Even if it seems that we will be relying on charades and basic gestures to communicate, which will be acceptable for now._ '

Marth gave a nod of approval, which Copper mirrored her movements. With the non-verbal agreement to travel together Marth began to walk, and made sure Copper followed a few paces behind.

Author notes-

As I said in the summary this is my first time writing anything that isn't for school. So if there is anything I can change or improve let me know with either a review OR you can contact me on tumbler: thenewbiewriter


	2. Chapter 2: The Sizing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters. All characters and assets belong to their respective owners

It had been a few hours since both Marth and Copper had set off from the forest, it was dark but the moon provided some light. The air was cool and there was a gentle breeze, a welcomed relief from the burning air of the forest. The burning landscape was far behind them as the duo now found themselves in a field with a few trees marking the edge of the forest.

 _As they walked, Copper noticed that Marth was continuously stopping to look around. 'Marth must be looking for something… I wonder what it could be? It must be important. Maybe I could try and make some conversation… let's start by translating some basic words.'_ After taking a deep breath, Copper hesitantly called out "Marth."

Marth had been looking around and wasn't expecting Copper to suddenly call out. Quickly turning around and reaching for her sword, Marth faced Copper, who immediately threw his arms up in the air. _'What on earth does he want?'_ Seeing no imminent threat, Marth grimaced and stared him down waiting for him to do something.

Seeing that Marth wasn't too pleased, Copper let his arms fall back down to his side. He began to look around, pointed to a tree, and in a calm voice said, "Reyth".

 _Marth looked at what Copper was pointing at and thought, 'What was that? Is he talking about the tree? His language is so…strange. It's intimidating and powerful yet has a sense of peace around it. Perhaps he wants to teach me his language or he wants to learn mine. It would also be helpful if we could understand one another, but I don't necessarily have time for this right now. I can't find the others, and I need to catch up to Chrom. If he's going to stick around then I might as well help him learn.'_ Raising her arm, Marth pointed at the same tree and in a calm voice replied "tree."

' _So the word is tree, doesn't exactly roll of the tongue but I'll get used to it. Now that I know that we can teach each other basic words, in our respective languages, I'll have to make use of it. Anything that will help us communicate without the use of swords is going to be welcomed._

After both of them repeated their new word several times, they both nodded in approval of each other's newfound words. For the next hour, they continued this process of teaching each other new words.

Marth took this time to examine her newly found companion. _'Alright let's see what I know about this person. Judging from his voice, I would say that he is a man, I doubt his helmet would modify his voice that much. I'm not sure what it is about his voice, but it's menacing. As if he's trying to make me command me. I haven't heard that much of his language, but what I have heard… It seems to be more than just words. Let me see, what else is there to note about him? He is tall, well built, and he seems to be a skilled fighter. That brings me to another point his armor is unique. I'm not sure what kind of metal it's made out of, but it looks like silver. I thought silver was reserved for weapons since it can cut through other metals at the expense of the blade wearing down quickly. Whatever kind of metal the armor is made out of, it's covering his entire body. I don't think there is any part of him that isn't covered. The only place where there is no armor plating is over his arm and leg joints, but those are protected by scale plating. His armor must be extremely heavy. This metal must be versatile since even his shield is made out of it. I don't know where he came from, but judging by the designs on his armor and the large fin on his helmet he must have been or must be a high-ranking soldier. Maybe in time, I can learn more about him, but for now we should set up camp so that we can get some rest, it'll be dawn in a few hours.'_

Looking around Marth spotted a small flat area that would provide a decent place to camp. It didn't take long for the duo to reach the area and even less time for Marth to explain to Copper that they were setting up camp, which took no time at all, since neither of them had any gear to camp with.

With what little wood that Marth found, they built a small fire, which was more than enough to provide some warmth and light. With the duo now settled, Marth retrieved some jerky from a pouch under her belt _. 'This isn't enough for two people but it's all I have and I won't let anyone go hungry, if I can help it.'_

Copper saw Marth pulling out what appeared to be the last of her food, so when a few strips of jerky were offered, it was enough to cause a small laugh to escape him. _'Hah, she must be one of the kindest people I have ever met. To think that she would offer someone she doesn't even know the last of her food. I don't need it, and I don't want her going hungry, for my sake.'_ Pushing Marth's hand away with the jerky, Copper shook his head from side to side. Marth seemed perplexed for a moment and re-offered the food in which Copper pushed it away again. This went on for a while until Marth gave in and quickly ate it. While Marth was eating, Copper walked to the edge of camp, he turned around and pointed at Marth, he used his hands to mimic, going to sleep, along with a few snoring sounds, just to get the point across. Once Marth acknowledged and understood what Copper was trying to say. Copper then turned around once more and stood guard. Marth was a little concerned, about Coppers actions, _'I think he means he will_ stand watch, _while I rest first. However, I don't really trust him just yet, even if he is trying to gain my trust… I guess I need to put some blind faith into his good will. After all, I've been through, I'm used to staying on guard. If I hear him draw his sword, I'll be ready.'_ Settling down Marth made sure to keep her hand on her sword, just in case.

It took a while, but eventually Marth's breathing slowly evened out and seizing the opportunity Copper looked over his latest acquaintance, studying her very carefully.

' _Marth is pretty short… Well compared to a Bosmer I guess she's fairly tall, could be about 5" 9'. Her body is thin so either her muscles are lean or she doesn't eat enough. It could be the lack of light, but it looks like Marth's hair is blue…I wonder if it's mixed with war paint? If it's war paint then she certainly doesn't look prepared for combat. Her clothing seems to be made of cotton, with a few leather bracings. The pauldrons look fragile, as if they would break if the wind blew too hard. Wait no… A cape? What protection does that offer? From what I know all it offers is nothing but something for the enemy to use to their advantage. I know it looks cool but I've learned my lesson. Well, what else does she have for protection? She is wearing a mask… it doesn't appear to offer any protection either. It looks like it's made out of wood. Perhaps it stops sun light or dust from getting into her eyes, but not much else… Heh the more I look the more it looks like a butterfly. Ah Hah! I'm going to call her butterfly and she'll have no idea. Wait… why is she still wearing her mask? And I swear she's trying to make her voice sound deeper? Is she trying to hide something? It's really none of my concern. After all, we all have our reasons for hiding. What else do I know about my new acquaintance, she has no armor, a pointless cape, blue looking hair, an oddly shaped mask, some sort of gold headband, and a strange looking sword. Wait… This is quite intriguing, what kind of sword is that? It has a red handle with a gold trim. That isn't a practical choice for an average sword, so it must be important. Could it be a symbol of status or a family weapon? Maybe it's just how swords are made here. Perhaps my sword is the odd one. How strange this land must be… How did I get here anyway? Aw well right now I just need to focus on Marth and surviving.'_

With that thought, Copper returned his attention back to standing guard. The world was quiet and the small fire began to dwindle. Copper was bored as he reminisced about his day spent with Marth and practiced the new words he had learnt. Copper was deep in thought and tried to theorize as to why Marth had not removed her mask. The best explanation he had come up with was that she didn't want to be recognized because she was a master criminal and her mask was something like the Cowl of the Grey Fox. _'I certainly hope it's not like the Fox's Cowl. I would like to be able to recognize her whenever she does remove it. I wonder if that's how people felt about me.'_

A small noise snapped Copper out of his musings. After quickly surveying the field, Copper found the source was none other than Marth. _'By the look of it, she's having a bad dream. Should I wake her? She might get mad if I woke her, and she has already threatened me enough for one day. What else can I do? Maybe I could sing her a lullaby? I only know one and it is in the Dova's language, but it shouldn't matter much. The words should still carry their power. '_ Clearing his throat Copper sang to the best of his abilities.

"Hush mal kiir, Kos ni zofaas, Til los nid praag wah faas vulon, lein los enlaag ahrk saraan fah, Ful gir wah dii zul, Ahrk vos nii brud hi, Kotin hahnu gejahrii do hind ahrk drem, Zu'u fen kos het, Fod hi vopraan, Ful laag mal gein, Ahrk mindok tol Zu'u los het. Nid fent aax hi, Ful lingrah ol Zu'u los het, Dova's nuv kodaav, Fent ni rahn zey naal, Zu'u fen krif niin pah wah dein hi tahriik, Ful hush mal gein ahrk laag daar vulon hond, Til los nid dahrin wah faas fos fen ni bo, Ful vos hin faas wah feim kotin hahnu, Ahrk laag mal gein, Ahrk kos ni zofaas, Fah feyl fen kos het das, Ahrk I'll kos til ahk, Ful hahnu genazaal hahnu, Zu'u fen koraav hi ko feyl."

Taking a deep breath Copper looked back at Marth who seemed to have settled back down _. 'Well… seems my time at the Bards College wasn't wasted. But for now, I should keep watch.'_ The remainder of the night passed without any further disturbance. Well at least not until Marth woke up.

Author notes:

So this came out later than I was hoping but school is back in session and I'm being picky about how I word these events. And yes as you all can see this chapter was mainly about building characters so with that done I'm going to try my hand at actually progressing the story in the next chapter. With school and work I'm not sure when I'll have it done but I would say it might take a week or two. I'll post updates on my tumbler, thenewbiewriter.


	3. Chapter 3: A taste of things yet to come

I do not own any characters, settings, or plots mentioned in this story. Those all belong to their respective companies.

It was late morning and the sun was shining when Marth woke up. The first thing she saw was Copper standing guard, his arms crossed in front of him, his back facing her, and his body blocking the sun rays from hitting her face. Quickly, climbing to her feet Marth scanned the area around the camp site. Marth's actions caught Coppers attention and he turned around to see what all the fuss was about. It was in that split second that Marth grabbed Copper by his chest plate and exclaimed, while shaking him violently, "How could you let me sleep in? We should have been moving hours ago!"

Marth realizing what she was doing released Copper, who was left confused and slightly dizzy from being shaken. ' _Now what have I done? Does Marth always wake up in a bad mood, and why did she have to shake me? … Well, I guess it's better than having a sword pointed at me.'_

After taking a deep breath Marth called out to Copper, "We need to get moving now if we want to reach the city before dusk. We can't afford to take any breaks, so we have to make sure to pace ourselves. We will then have to… wait… Did you get any sleep last night?" After a brief silence Marth sighed to herself and mumbled, "I forgot… you can't understand a word I'm saying."

"Zu'u dreh ni mindoraan demdriik nuz Zu'u fen kiibok kolos alun hi bo."

Marth shook her head in disbelief, mumbling to herself "….and I can't understand you either. Maybe we can find something in Ylisstol that will help us communicate with each other, but until then we shall make do with charades." With that said, Marth turned around and started walking. After a few steps, she turned around to face Copper, who was standing there looking unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. Sighing to herself Marth used her hands and fingers to mimic two people walking together, a familiar gesture which Copper understood and he walked up to Marth's side and the duo set off.

It didn't take long for them to find a road. Marth had figured out what direction to take that would get them to Ylisstol, by using a small object with a spinning arrow, something Copper was fascinated with. Thankfully, the day was nice and the road was in good condition, despite it being a plain dirt road. Marth was keeping an eye on Copper who was examining her compass with the same curiosity of a young child. _'What am I going to do with him, we can't communicate and I still don't know if I can trust him. If we don't find anything in Ylisstol that will help us to communicate, then I may have to leave him behind. I can't afford to have any liabilities on my mission, far too much is riding on it.'_

The road had led the duo into a forest and as the trees grew thicker Marth felt a increasing feeling of uneasiness. Taking a glance at Copper, Marth saw that he was looking around and he had his sword and shield in hand. It was a small relief that she wasn't the only one who felt as if something was wrong.

Copper did not like the current atmosphere, _'Someone or something is watching us, and while I do enjoy a good game of hide and seek, this is not the place for it, so let's just use a small detection spell and find out if someone or something is hiding._ ' Summoning some magic to his hand, Copper began preparing a basic detect life spell when a sudden burning pain shot through his arm and he immediately bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out. _'SHOR'S BONES… what in Oblivion was that? It feels as if my entire arm is on fire… Luckily, I managed to stay quiet so Marth didn't notice anything, but if I can't use my magic, then I may be in trouble… Still, I was a warrior long before I was a mage, so I'll just have to rely on my instincts.'_

The duo continued walking through the forest with both of them on edge and when Marth wasn't looking Copper kept trying to use the detection spell only to find that the pain would return. Eventually the duo reached a clearing where they saw a small campsite. It had a small fire pit with three logs around it for sitting. Walked up to it Marth quickly investigated the campsite, while Copper surveyed the clearing to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them.

Unfortunately, Copper didn't notice an archer behind him until an arrow embedded itself into the back of his armor causing Copper to spin around. Quickly noticing three archers, the one who had fired at him and two others aiming at Marth, quickly positioning himself in front of her, Copper raised his shield blocking the arrows. This caught Marth's attention and she quickly stowed a small red book under her belt, drew her blade, looked around the rest of the clearing, and noticed several figures armed with clubs and axes emerging from the forest, _'Bandits!_ '

Including the archers, Marth counted 12 bandits. Before she could come up with a plan of action the biggest one shouted, "Drop yer valuables, if you know what's good for ya. If you listen like good boys, we, The Texran Bandits, will give that big guy the antidote for the poison that was on the tip of that arrow. But ya better be quick, it'll be too late in a minute or so."

Marth quickly glanced at Copper and saw the arrow that the bandit was referring to _, 'Surely_ _they must be bluffing, but what if they are telling the truth, I can't risk Coppers life.'_ Before she could do or say anything, Copper took off charging towards the archers, far faster than she would have expected especially with all that armor, and within a few seconds he was upon them.

Copper was glad that the archers had shown themselves. It makes it far easier to kill when you can see your target. Using his shield, Copper knocked one archer onto the ground and continued running towards another. The archer didn't seem to have any way to defend himself and Copper made use of his momentum, lunged forward, and drove his sword deep into the man's chest. Another arrow embedded itself into Copper's back, but he paid it no mind. Turning around, he saw that two archers had grouped up. Raising his shield, Copper charged towards the two. The archers tried another set of arrows but all the arrows accomplished was bouncing off Coppers shield. Using his momentum Copper rammed into one archer sending him to the ground in a daze. Before the other archer could react, Copper swung and with a single motion, removed the bandits head from his body, _'Should've used his head more.'_ The last archer was coming to, butbefore he could do anything, Copper brought his foot down on the man's head ending him quickly. _'Hmm,_ _I never did like having to put my foot down. Now to take care of the rest.'_

After Copper had charged off to fight the archers, Marth was left to deal with the rest of the bandits. They had drawn their weapons and were slowly surrounding Marth.At her feet were two bandits who had made the mistake of charging her and the others were now keeping their distance.

' _The leader is hanging back… waiting for his men to tire me out… but that isn't going to happen.'_ Deciding that being on the defensive was not going to work anymore, Marth charged a bandit who was caught off guard by the sudden shift in battle. With a single strike Marth brought the man down. The bandits were strong but they were not fast, luckily for Marth, she was and she made use of it.

Moving away from the bandit she had just cut down, Marth charged another one who managed to make a clumsy swing of his axe, which was easily deflected and with a single thrust of her sword, Marth ended the man. Out of the corner of her eye, Marth noticed Copper had rejoined the fight and was currently using his shield to bash a bandit's face in. As another bandit fell to her blade, Marth also noticed that the leader had ran back into the trees.

' _Some leader he is… hopefully he won't be able to harm anyone else but I doub…'_ before Marth was able to finish her thought she saw Copper take off after the leader. _'Great... So I have to finish off the remaining bandits then? There should only be two left.'_

Scanning the area, Marth saw the two remaining bandits preparing to charge her. Marth beat them to the punch and quickly moved towards the pair. However, just as she had started moving a loud, blood-curdling scream sounded out from the forest. Her charge suddenly halted, she turned to where the cry had come from, worried that the scream had come from Copper. However, she knew that this fight took priority and she turned with the intention to continue her charge towards the bandits but they had taking the opportunity and had ran. With no reason to stay there Marth ran in the direction of the scream.

It didn't take long for her to reach the source. The bandit's leader laid on the ground with Copper standing over him. The leader's eyes were wide open, his mouth frozen wide open in a scream, his face full of anguish, and not a breath left in him. However, Marth couldn't see any wounds that would cause such a horrific scream. "Copper… are you okay?" Copper was standing there with a hand on his helmet as though he had a headache.

"Vir drey hi dreh ko hin krif"

"I still can't understand you… Here, let me get those arrows out of your back, you don't look like you're about to pass out, so I guess the poison really was a bluff." Stepping forward Marth grabbed Copper by his arm and led him back to the campsite and had him sit down. "Ok now I'm going to get these arrows out alright? So don't move." Grabbing an arrow Marth slowly pulled it to see how deep the arrow had gone. Luckily, the head of one arrow hadn't made it through Copper's armor and after a few seconds it was out. The second arrow had managed to penetrate his armor but not his skin and it only took a little longer for Marth to take it out. After both arrows were out Marth quickly looked them over. She couldn't verify if there was poison on them, but if there was, then it was a good thing that the arrows hadn't pierced Copper's skin.

With the arrows out of his armor, Copper stood up and walked over to the fallen bandits and began rummaging through their belongings. Sitting down where Copper had been Marth began cleaning her sword with a small rag. Taking a glance at her companion, Marth saw that his armor was coated in blood. Once she was satisfied with the condition of her sword, Marth walked over and offered Copper the small cleaning rag she had been using.

Copper wasn't finding much on the bandits. He had taken a few strips of dried meat and a handful of coins, but couldn't find anything else of value. Sighing to himself, Copper pocketed the few items he had gotten. A small tap on his shoulder alerted him that Marth was standing near him and was offering him a small-bloodied rag. _'What is this? Some sort of peace offering? Why would Marth think I would ever want a bloody rag? Wait…'_

Since Copper didn't take the rag Marth grabbed Copper by his arm, led him back to the log, and sat him down. When he didn't make any moves to get away, Marth began wiping the blood off the back of his armor. Now that she was up close, Marth could see the scratches and dents of past battles on his armor and the repairs done to it. Some seemed to have come from blades and others from blunt weapons. The most noticeable scar on Coppers armor was a large mark that, unlike the rest it was more jagged and rough. The repairs for the most part had been made with a great deal of care, except for the one on his back. It seemed as if it had been repaired either quickly or carelessly. Once his back was clean Marth moved to his front and began wiping the blood off his chest. Moving from his chest to his helmet, Marth noticed Copper tensing up and with great care Marth wiped the blood that had gotten onto the face plate. Despite her best attempts, Marth couldn't see what he looked like under his helmet and quickly finished wiping up the blood. With Copper now looking presentable, Marth backed up and Copper relaxed. Quickly looking over his armor and noticed the lack of blood Copper gave Marth a small nod of thanks. Standing up Copper walked over to a tree.

Keeping an eye on Copper, Marth saw that he was flipping through a familiar red book. _'Wasn't that the Tome I was looking at?'_ A quick check of her belt proved her suspicion was correct. _'But… How did he take that from me? Why is he interested in something he can't read?'_

Flipping through the worn pages, Copper was doing his best to understand what he was looking at. _'So if I understand this book correctly by doing this I should be able to, in theory, create a small fireball through the book which I can then throw… much like a spell scroll but on a much smaller scale… guess it's meant for multiple uses rather than a scrolls single flash of power. Divines curse my curiosity, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Let's test this theory against a tree and see what happens'_ Taking a deep breath Copper began channeling his magic. Like the last time, the burning sensation return but on a much smaller scale. With the familiar and comforting sense of magic at his fingertips Copper finally managed to prepare a spell and once the spell was ready to be cast Copper aimed for a tree and let the fire spell go.

Marth was shocked that Copper was actually able to understand and use a Tome since only a handful of people are born with the talent and even less can actually learn how to use the magic in the Tome. But, what was more surprising was when Copper let the spell loose, instead of a standard fireball, a sharp shard of ice was cast. _'I didn't think it was possible to summon ice… as far as I knew the only kinds of destruction spells were fire, thunder, and wind!'_ Looking at the tree, Marth saw that the ice hadn't just hit one tree, but it had gone straight through the tree and embedded itself into the tree behind it.

 _Copper just stood there staring at what had just happened. 'That…. that wasn't supposed to happen… Let me take another look at this page…. this symbol means fire… this one is used to store magic… I think?... this one is supposed to connect the two… What is this one? Oh I see now… I think? I was supposed to use the book to store the magic and then use my arm to direct it. I used my own arm to hold the magic…. I think I like my method better… much stronger… But I wonder what would happen if I…'_ Looking up from the book Copper saw Marth standing in front of him with a hand on her sword. _'Looks like Marth is angry… I wonder what about? Was it that I took this book from her while she was distracted… or that I didn't even try to explain what I was going to do… Might be both…yeah… That might be it….still it looks like I managed to distract her.'_

Releasing her sword Marth said as calmly as she could, "Copper. I'm not going to ask you this right now since you can't understand me… but… follow me… the sooner we get to Ylisstol the sooner we can get some rest."Marth made the familiar 'walk together' gesture and Copper walked up to Marth and handed the book to her, which Marth quickly took and placed it under her belt, and with that, the duo continued to Ylisstol.

Authors notes:

Oh my gosh, it's finally HERE… I wanted to keep a schedule but with school, work, and all the other excuses I didn't get a whole lot of time to work on the chapter… and it was my first time writing a fighting scene and it was not gentle at all… But all humor, or lack of, aside I just wanted to assure everyone that I fully intend to see this story through to the end… Even if it goes downhill. Also I'm not sure how much time I should spend polishing chapters. I could write a chapter in a week flat but it… does not look pretty… by any means. So far it takes me three days to write the outline of a chapter, a day to fix all the grammar, two days to attempt to put some form of humor into it, another day to fix the humor grammar, and then a whole week to tidy the whole thing up and wrap it in a nice little package for all you good people. And this has gone on long enough but I said what I wanted to say… I like the way I write now and in future things should happen faster but I want the final product to shine… also I hope to find a way to stop using the three dots… nah I shall always use the three dots… unless I find something better… but I don't think I will… till next time


	4. Chapter 4: The Book

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters. All characters and assets belong to their respective owners

The Book

It had been a few hours since the fight in the forest and neither Marth nor Copper had spoken a word. Marth was focused on making up for lost time while Copper followed close behind her playing with the compass.

From the fight in the woods and the fast pace Marth was starting to feel fatigued. Each step seemed to take more effort than the last step and Marth wasn't sure if she could keep going at their current pace. However, the sun was setting leaving her no choice but to keep going. Yet Copper was showing no signs of fatigue. He was moving as fast as ever despite the fact that he hadn't slept the night before and was wearing a full suit of armor. This both impressed and annoyed Marth at the same time, _'He has more stamina than what I would give him credit for. Alongside his brutal fighting style and stature, he is an intimidating figure. I hope I can find something in Ylisstol to help us communicate; otherwise I have to leave him behind. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that since he has proven to be reliable in combat and the fact that he can use magic makes him all the more helpful. But If we can't communicate then he is too much of a liability...I just don't know what to do with him.'_ Sighing to herself Marth took a quick glance back at Copper, who was still playing with her compass.

The small object simply fascinated Copper and he was completely engrossed with the small spinning arrow inside the device. Yet no matter how engrossed he was he did notice Marth looking at him and as he looked up Marth quickly turned her head away. Sighing to himself he put the device away. _'I really need to talk with Demdriik... but how on Nirn do I even begin? Should I say, oh where are we going? Or why is your hair blue? Now that I think about it, she is wearing… a lot of blue…is that her favorite color? Now I'm just getting distracted again. I need to just start talking, but what do I talk about? I have questions about magic, but I don't want to remind her that I stole the book from right under her nose. What if I ask her about her fighting style? It was graceful and fluid, it was as if she was dancing rather than fighting. It was a very lethal dance, but I think, she'll get the point of what I'm trying to say. Anyone would be hesitant to face her in combat. Still I hope we get to wherever we are going soon. It's getting late and I want to see what towns look like around here. Perhaps I can find something that will explain how I got here. It's probably best if I try talking with her after we have had time to eat and rest. She seems a bit tired and I can't blame her, the fight, traveling, and dealing with me has to take its toll.'_ He had no idea how he had missed the walls that were coming into view but it wasn't hard to see that they were approaching a large city.

It took roughly half an hour to reach the gate to the city and from what Copper could see the city was easily three times the size of the Imperial City and along the imposing walls was an obvious guard presence. Once they reached the gate a guard approached them and asked what business they had in Ylisstol.

Copper didn't have an answer, but Marth did. "We came here seeking to join the Shepherds." It wasn't the full truth but the guard didn't need to know that. Luckily, the guard simply nodded and motioned for them to pass through the gate.

Despite it being late in the evening, there were still plenty of people busily walking the streets taking care of their final tasks of the day before heading home. Copper was looking around taking in the sights. The streets were paved with smooth stone bricks and there were shops and houses everywhere. In the distance a castle could be seen sitting atop a large hill. The city reminded him of the Imperial City and while it wasn't as grand in design the sheer amount of people was overwhelming.

Seeing Copper look around like a small child, Marth decided to at least welcome him, even if he couldn't understand her, "Welcome to Ylisstol, hopefully they have something here that can help us communicate… and that it doesn't cost that much gold." Looking around Marth didn't see any book stores, but she did know of one. Marth tugged at Coppers arm, to get his attention and began walking in the direction of the store that she had in mind. The clanking of Coppers armor alerted Marth that he was following close behind. Glancing back, she saw that Coppers attention was focused on admiring the city. _'I guess he trusts me to some degree if he isn't worried that I'll try to lose him, however all that noise from his armor, is drawing attention to us. I wouldn't want to take it from him… but if we can find a means of communication and if he wants to continue to travel with me, then the armor will have to go._

 _Maybe we could find a place to store it unt...'_ before Marth could finish her thought, Copper pulled her against him, before she could react he pointed to the wall that she almost walked into. Finding no words, Marth faced forward and quickly put some distance between the two of them in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

It didn't take long for them to reach the book store. It was tucked behind a few buildings and was clearly in need of some repairs, but it was exactly as Marth remembered. Walking into the store, Marth was glad to see that the store was still as unorganized as it was when she was a child. Books lined every shelf, there were books stacked up on top of other books and scattered over the floor. An old couple was sitting behind the counter each reading a book. The man looked up and with a smile asked, "You all looking for anything in particular? You won't find anything without some help. We would apologize for the mess, but at this point, it's part of the stores atmosphere."

Marth knew what type of book she needed but had no idea where to find it, "We need a book for translating languages."

The man thought for a moment and pointed to a pile of books on a table, "If it's about language translation, then look in that pile there. I'll check in the back to see if we have anymore."

Nodding, Marth walked over to the pile of books and began looking at them. There were books on ancient Manakete, various books for different Taguel clans, and a book on how to understand old English. Looking back at Copper, who was currently doing his best to avoid knocking over any books while at the same time trying to read a book he had picked up, Marth sighed to herself and called out, "Copper, can you come over here?"

Hearing his name Copper quickly put the book he was looking at down and moved over to Marth as carefully as he could.

Copper wasn't surprised when Marth passed a book to him, after all they were in a book store. Quickly flipping through it Copper quickly realized that he… had no idea what it said. Passing the book back to Marth who in turn handed him another book. Another quick read proved that he didn't understand anything again and passed the book back. This went on for a while without success. Eventually there were no more books in the pile and Marth felt her heart drop.

' _Nothing… There has to be something… anything… I don't want to abandon him. Hopefully the old man has something in the back… just something.'_ Walking up to the counter Marth began asking the old lady questions.

Seeing that he had some time Copper took a second look at the pictures in some of the books. On one page there was a picture of a creature that vaguely resembled a dragon. _'Interesting… they have creatures similar to ours. They look a lot smaller than our dragons but that just might be the picture.'_ Turning the page, there were pictures of two very distinctive dragons and judging by the quality of the art work it seemed that these two were important in some way. One was golden with elegant features and was labeled, 'Naga.' The other looked as if it was a daedric creature with its six eyes, large horns, six wings, and if the picture was accurate then the dragon had pitch black scales. Like the other dragon this one was labeled 'Grima'. _'I don't like the look of this dragon… far too similar to Alduin… Still they look important and if I've learned anything dragons are always trouble. Maybe later I can ask Demdriik about these two.'_

While Copper was studying the dragons, the old man had returned with a large book wrapped in cloth. "Well this book just came into our possession today, we haven't read it…actually we haven't even opened it. Truth be told, we don't much like having it… something feels off about it. However, why don't you have a look, maybe this could be what you are looking for."

Taking the book and removing the cloth Marth could see why the store owners felt uneasy about the book. Marth could tell that something was strange about the book. The cover was made out of six different kinds of leather, each a different color. The longer she held the book the more Marth began to feel sick to her stomach. Against her better judgement she slowly opened the book, inside the book she saw page after page filled with random runes, pictures, random scribbles, and symbols but nothing that made any sense to her. The longer Marth spent studying the pages the more she found herself unable to look away.

She began to hear inaudible whispers and shadows began creeping from the corner of her eyes. Then a single haunting voice rang out and whispered to her, ' _What knowledge does this world have I wonder…? Mortal… I am the one who knows all, and if you wi-._ '

The voice was silenced when the book was slammed shut and torn out of Marth's hands by Copper. Dazed and confused Marth felt weak. Unable to stand any longer she collapsed into Coppers arms. She could vaguely hear Copper's voice drifting away as she slipped out of consciousness.

Copper was trying his best to remain calm but Marth wasn't responding and was in pain. Picking her up off her feet, Copper asked the old couple if they had a room where he could take Marth. The old man led Copper to a small room with a single bed. Laying Marth down Copper turned and asked the old couple if they had any water, medical supplies, or herbs he could use. The old couple quickly ran out of the room to find some supplies. Alone with Marth Copper quickly checked her condition. She was unconscious, sweating, breathing heavily, pale, and was moaning in pain.

' _What in Oblivion is going on? These symptoms don't match up with any previous cases that I've seen… What do I do?'_

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts Copper ran through several things he could do but he doubted any would help. His thoughts were interrupted when Marth suddenly grabbed her head and cried out in pain.

' _Ok… don't think just act… Oh blessed Mara grant me the power to heal and bring peace to this soul.'_

Gritting his teeth Copper began a dual casting of a grand healing spell. The pain he had felt in the forest had been manageable but the pain he felt now was beyond words. However, Marth's condition was clearly worsening and Copper had no time to find another solution. Fighting against the pain Copper forced himself to continue the spell. Immediately the effects of the spell could be seen as Marth seemed to relax. With Marth no longer in pain Copper uttered a small prayer of gratitude to Mara. Looking over to the door he saw that the old lady was standing there with a jug of water and her husband behind her with a bundle of herbs and both looking at him with awe struck faces. Letting out a small laugh Copper told the couple, "Don't take off my friend's mask… if you do then you might… find a sword… pointed… at you." As soon as he finished his sentence Copper collapsed.

Author Notes:

Ok so I was gone for a while but I have a good excuse I swear… Ok I don't have a excuse but I did say that I was going to finish this story no matter what and no matter how bad… but it's not going to end bad it'll end and it'll end… good? But I'm back in school now and that means that I'll have more time to write which is weird cause most people actually have less time to write… Anyway hopefully this weird month of not posting anything will not repeat itself again… and if it does… well… someone give me a kick in the butt to remind me… Like Commissar Carl and TotallingSky6 did by leaving a review… cause I was out of town and saw that and you all don't want to hear this…

Also Totallingsky6 ask very nicely for a update so here you go Total!

Also I'm not telling you all anything about future chapters… y'all will just have to read the chapters as I get around to posting them!


	5. Chapter 5: The Discussion

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either franchise

The Discussion

Opening her eyes Marth was shocked to find herself in a burning forest. Standing up she quickly began moving away from the flames. She didn't know how or why she was here but her first priority was escaping the flames. As she ran she could hear the sounds of fighting raging throughout the forest. _'What madness is this?'_

Eventually she found herself in a clearing and took a moment to catch her breath. _'What's going on… a dream?'_ Pinching her arm Marth winced when she felt pain, _'Not a dream… But what else could this be?'_ The sound of something shuffling snapped her out of her thoughts. Quickly looking around she saw the leader of the Texran bandits shuffling towards her. A haunting purple mist pouring from his eyes and mouth. Reaching for her sword, Marth found that it was missing. Losing her focus, she was quickly brought down to the ground as the bandit tackled her. Kicking the bandit off of her Marth quickly put some distance between them. Looking around the clearing for anything she could use as a weapon she saw an old rusted dagger lying on the ground near her.

As she went to grab it, the bandit tackled her and brought her down again. Knowing what Marth was going to do the bandit was prepared for when Marth tried to kick him off. Unable to kick the bandit off Marth felt as the bandit wrapped his hands around her neck. Marth struggled to get the bandits hands off her neck, and as she tried she could hear the bandit rambling, "you killed my men...you killed me… and… for… what… glory? Honor? For fun? WHY!" Marth felt herself growing weaker as she struggled to breath. The dagger was close enough that her fingers were able to brush against the hilt and all she needed was to loosen the bandits grip.

All the while the bandit had continued its rambling, "They were good men… willing to do whatever it took to survive. We were dealt a bad hand but we made the best of it… until you came along and took it all way… GRIMA CURSE YOU."

As the bandit shouted he removed one of his hands from Marth's throat to strike her. This was all Marth needed to grab the dagger and drive the blade into the bandits head. Throwing the bandit off of her Marth slowly stood up rubbing her neck and struggling to stand steady.

' _This really isn't a dream… I don't understand… Where's Falchion? Where's Copper? Where am I? I can figure that out another time for now I need to get out of here.'_ Ripping the dagger out of the bandit's head she noticed that the blade had lost its rust and a black blade could now be seen. As she was examining the dagger she heard a voice bellowing out behind her.

"So she has chosen the path of destruction… The path of a revolutionary… The path that she hopes will allow her to shape the world into her own IMAGE…"

Turning around Marth saw a large man wearing black spiked armor walking slowly into the clearing with several soldiers next to him, each wearing armor made of bones. In one hand he carried Copper's helmet, which was coated in blood, and in the other hand he carried what appeared to be Marth's sword, Falchion, but the blade had been broken.

"What world does she wish for us…? A world where we are to BOW down to these so called heroes… a world where these so called heroes are given EVERYTHING while we are made to live in the shadows of their glory… Not today, for on this DAY… these false heroes will fall… and the age of the Empire BEGINS." Rising his arm in Marth's direction an eruption of fire came from the man's hand. Time seemed to slow down as the fire slowly inched closer to Marth. Just before the flames reached Marth, she heard the man say, "This is your fate."

Jolting awake Marth saw the old lady, Mary, from the bookstore leaning over her with a concerned look on her face. Quickly reaching up to her face Marth was thankful to find her mask was still on. Adjusting her mask, she slowly sat up in bed and rested her back against the headboard.

Seeing Marth move Mary pulled up a chair and asked, "How are you feeling? You've been out for a few hours."

Marth was confused and felt awful but there was no need to add to Mary's concern and simply replied, "I'm fine… what happened?"

Offering Marth a cup of water Mary answered, "Well I'm not sure exactly… Your friend said it was because you had been traveling all day without taking time to eat or-"

Interrupting the woman, Marth had to make sure she heard had her correctly, "Wait how did he tell you that? Did he say anything else!?"

For a moment Mary seemed taken by surprised but quickly answered, "Oh I'm sorry… he said not to tell you about our discussion… said it might make you flustered. But yes….he did tell us about your travels and how you ran into some bandits. Goodness we were worried sick! You just collapsed, your friend carried you up to this room, sent us out to grab some things, and when we get back we see him casting some magic on you… without a staff no less!... Oh dear you looked confused… I'm sorry I tend to babble on and you just woke up. Do you need anything?"

Marth had woken up confused and now she was only more confused, "I just… need a moment to gather my thoughts." _'I thought he couldn't speak my language… Yet here he is talking to Mary… How long has he been playing me for a fool?'_ After taking a deep breath to compose herself she asked Mary, "So did my friend tell you anything else?"

"No he didn't… after he told us about your mask he collapsed like a sack of potatoes."

"Wait he collapsed! Is he alright? Where is he?"

"Oh he woke up a while ago … he's down in the store with my husband… he wanted to know more about that book you were reading."

Nodding her head Marth moved to get out of the bed only to be pushed back down. Looking up Marth saw Copper, still wearing his dwarven armor, he had his hand on her shoulder and was gently holding her down. The two stared at each other for a while as Marth tried to think of what she wanted to ask first. While she was debating this Mary quietly excused herself and left the room. Taking the old rickety chair Copper sat down and asked, "So… how are you?"

Marth didn't know how to reply to his question, so she replied with a question of her own. "If you knew my language why didn't you talk to me? If you had just spoken earlier we could have avoided so much confusion."

"Well… there was… there was a lot going on and I was going to tell you I swear. I only just learned it but what's done is done and now you know… I can only imagine you have questions, so what do you want to know?"

Marth couldn't tell what Copper was thinking, his helmet hid his face and for all she knew Copper wasn't interested in actually answering her questions. "Why are you here?"

Marth's question came as a surprise, since Copper could list several questions he would have asked first, but Marth had asked a question and he owed her an answers. "Well originally I was with you because I had no idea where I was… but now… well now I just don't know where to go or… what to do…"

Marth didn't know how to take Copper's response but it seemed as if he just realized something. Even with his armor Marth could see his head drop and his shoulders slump, and the chair creaked as Copper sank further into it. Clearing her throat, to get Copper's attention she continued asking questions, "I thought you had come from Plegia or Ferox, but I'm starting to doubt that… Where are you from exactly?"

His body language didn't give it away, but his voice confirmed that his mood had changed "… I don't see what the point of knowing that is, but you asked me, so I'll tell you. I'm from Skyrim the northern province of Tamriel… it's uh… far away… really far away… Anything else?"

' _I don't recall hearing any of those names before'._ "I know you told the shopkeepers that I fainted from exhaustion but I know that it had something to do with that book. What can you tell me about it?"

The second Marth mention the book she could feel the atmosphere tense up as Copper quickly sat up, leaned in close enough so that their foreheads were almost touching, and quietly whispered, "What you need to know is this and this alone, forget about that book, forget everything that happened regarding that book. It isn't worth your time."

Matching Copper's tone Marth retorted, "I can't do that! I collapsed after reading it. If it's some kind of magical item it may yet prove useful. If you are serious about holding back that information from me, then at least tell me why."

"Alright Demdriik… I'll tell you why you can't know about the book… That fact that you're talking to me right now is a bloody miracle… I've seen people die just trying to get their hands on it and even more go mad from reading it. Those that keep their sanity learn a great secret but are doomed to an eternity of servitude. So just… just forget about it… please." Leaning back into the chair he turned to look at Marth and in a whisper said, "Now, just one more question… then you need to rest."

 _Marth had to wonder, 'would he know anything about my dream? No, it wasn't a dream, I can still feel his hands on my neck… perhaps it was a vision? Maybe it's best if I don't tell him about it just yet.' "So,_ is Copper your real name?"

"Is Marth yours? I'll be as honest as you are to me. My name for yours."

"What if I told you that Marth is my real name?"

"Then I would tell you that my real name is Copper. I've decided to trust you but there is a difference between trusting someone and full disclosure. I'll trust a soldier to fight with me, but I'm not going to tell them my life story… that takes time and we haven't had enough of that. But I'm hoping that you'll let me work for you since I really don't have any idea what I'm going to be doing now."

"What do you mean by work for me? What do you stand to gain from this?"

"I'll follow you and help you. So in a sense I'm a mercenary whom you don't have to pay. Like I said before Marth, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I don't know anyone, own anything, nor have I pledged my loyalty to anyone. However I'll pledge it to you if you allow me to work for you."

Marth didn't know how to reply. On one hand without the others it would be helpful to have someone to help her and watch her back, but on the other hand she didn't know all that much about Copper. "Could I have some time to think this over?"

Giving a small nod of approval, Copper got up to leave the room and just before he closed the door he told Marth to get some sleep.

Taking off her mask and rubbing her eyes Marth reflected over the last two days, _'This isn't how it was supposed to be. Severa, Cynthia, Laurent, Gerome, even Inigo…Everyone is missing, the Risen have already appeared, and then I ran into Copper. Well regarding the others we planned for this so I just need to go to the Regna Ferox tournament and meet them at the fountain. I can't do much about the Risen other than destroy the ones I encounter. However, what am I going to do with Copper…? I don't know anything about him, other than him lying about understanding my language and his name, he's been honest and seemed to answer my questions truthfully. He also helped me against those bandits. He knows how to fight so he would be able to help me… but he also doesn't know how important my mission is and I can't tell him all that much about it.… he also knows magic… but I should try to avoid intervening too much… But who knows what would have happened to me if he hadn't been here…" Putting her mask on just in case someone came into the room, Marth relaxed and closed her eyes. 'I guess I really am my father's daughter. Oh Naga, please let this be the right decision.'_

Standing outside of the shop, Copper was watching the window of Marth's room. He had planned to go out and explore but a soft blue light was coming from Marth's window. Shrugging it off as Marth casting magic he turned his attention to the surrounding area. He hadn't taken the time to look around earlier that day since he was busy keeping an eye on Marth. The bookstore was in the lower end of the city and the surrounding buildings were in various forms of disrepair. _'Ah the slums of the city. The perfect place to set up a base of operations. Plenty of places to hide, a decent place to recruit, and the guards most likely avoid coming here.'_ A small commotion down the road caught Copper's attention. _'And there are the familiar sounds of fighting… Better take a look and see if I need to step in._ Sighing to himself he started walking in the direction of the commotion, but before he got far he took one more glance up at Marth's window and saw that the light had faded away. _'Perhaps I shouldn't have been so eager to offer my services… oh well not like I have a plan other than to wander around. Might as well have a companion to do it with._

Authors Notes: Whelp… here it is… I will admit I don't really like this chapter but that's my opinion and I was going to have to post it eventually. So here it is in all its glory. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon but then again I always promise that and I always break it. So perhaps I shouldn't promise I'll post it soon it'll be better if I promise to post it next year. The next chapter I'm liking a lot more but then again I'm just happy to put this chapter behind me. Anyway enjoy and what not.

TotallingSky6: Thank you for kicking me in the butt. I had to pull myself through and write this chapter just for you.

P.S. If any of you know any sources about Fire Emblem lore let me know please. I've done the wikis and tried to play what games I can but I don't know as much about Fire emblem as I do the Elder Scrolls.


	6. Chapter 6: Unanswered Questions

Unanswered Questions

Marth had tried to sleep but her efforts proved futile and with the morning sun shining through the window, she gave up sleeping entirely. Sitting up she turned her attention to trying to recall the dream, or vision she wasn't quite sure, _'All I can remember is that I fought the bandit's leader… Oh Naga.'_ Marth had been so preoccupied with Copper and traveling that she hadn't had a chance to think about the bandits from the forest. _'I took a human life… no I took several… and I didn't even stop to think about it… but I had to do it… we didn't have any other options… it was either me or them, the mission comes first… I must be successful… at any cost.'_ She found herself sick to her stomach and the room was getting hard to stay in and she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Reaching for her sword to help comfort her Marth found that her sheath was empty and looking around she couldn't see Falchion anywhere in the room. Quickly opening the door Marth ran downstairs to find the old couple talking to someone wearing a pitch-dark black suit with a hood and their face concealed by a mask.

Noticing her arrival the person in black spoke to her, "Ah there you are… Did you get enough sleep…? What's with that look? Oh right it's your first time seeing me out of my armor…"

Recognizing Copper's voice Marth motioned for him to follow her back to the room and after excusing himself, he followed behind her. Closing the door behind him Copper sat down on the chair, "So… Demdriik… did you sleep well?"

Marth had spent the past few hours thinking of ways to talk to him, and here he was, starting a conversation nonchalantly. But first, she needed Falchion back, "Where is my sword?"

"I didn't want you sleeping on it so I put it under your bed."

Looking under the bed, Marth could see Falchion. Grabbing it Marth felt her body relax as she returned it to it's sheath. Turning to face Copper, "Thanks for the thought but I'd prefer it if you didn't handle my sword without me knowing." Copper just gave a nod in response. "Now what does Dahenmah… Demdrak...I'm sorry I don't know how you pronounced it but you keep calling me by it."

"Dem-driik I'd teach you how to say it but we have other things to talk about… So… What do you think?"

The fact that Copper didn't answer the question annoyed her, but she could let it go for now, "Oh well the new suit is an improvement from the armor since it's lighter making it easier to fight in."

"I'm not talking about what I'm wearing… Will I be traveling with you?"

"Oh of course… Copper…You clearly know how to fight. Over the past few days I've seen you use both swords and magic but what I am trying to do will require more than just skills in combat. What we need to do will require a softer approach. We'll have to remain in the shadows. Watching and protecting someone no matter the case without him knowing. There is no reward nor glory to be had but we must succeed. I have nothing to offer you for your help besides my appreciation and gratitude. Despite all of that would you still want to travel with me?"

Marth had been expecting Copper to hesitate but he didn't take a second before responding, "Ya sure. I already told you that I'd be willing to work for you for free so I'm not interested in rewards. I'm sure my training and past experiences will be of some use. However, now that I know we'll be traveling together, I'd like you to hold onto this." With that Copper pulled out a simple iron necklace with a pendent which held a small blue crystal which emitted a soft glow. "This should help give you a upper hand when it comes to a sword fight."

Taking the necklace, Marth could tell that there was something more to this necklace than just the stone and iron it was made out of. "Thank you Copper… I have nothing to give you in exchange for this. Are you certain you want me to have this? I can tell that this is magical and magical items are somewhat rare."

"Yes yes I'm sure now put it on otherwise it doesn't work and come downstairs. Mary made flat bread circles with some kind of sweet goo that you put over the bread. It's delicious. I think she called them bancakes or something like that."

And with that Copper left the room. Looking at the necklace, Marth noticed something engraved into the iron in Copper's language. Running her finger over the word she couldn't make sense of the word, "Juno."

" _A name of a dear friend"_

Looking up she saw an old man sitting on the other side of the room. The man looked ancient with deep wrinkles, grey skin, a long white beard and a clean shaved head, but despite his age his voice carried power and authority.

' _Peace young one and stay your blade. Now I believe you are about to ask me who I am and what I'm doing here so allow me to put you at ease with some answers. My name is Mora and we met yesterday in a rather... unfortunate event. I apologize for that but it's been awhile since I've met someone who was willing to open up my book and well… I just… I am sorry for what happened. Now as to why I'm here, I'm simply here to help you. I know you want to ask me how I can help you and the answer is this, I have great knowledge that might interest you.'_

Marth didn't know what to make of this situation. She remembered the warning that Copper had given her. It was those who dealt with this book would learn of some great knowledge but then they must serve him for an eternity of servitude. However, if he truly knows something that could help her then she would take it. "Tell me Mora. How did you get into this room and why should I trust you?"

" _More questions, I knew you were the one I wanted to meet. Now for the answers you seek. I'm the entity of knowledge. If you were so inclined, as some people are, a god. Appearing here in this room is trivial to me. Now what your friend told you yesterday about learning this secret is true, but what he said about an eternity of servitude is not. The people who have come to me for this knowledge have done so of their own free will and once they know it, they wanted to stay to learn more. It's just folklore, of how Mora will teach you and keep you. I wish to share my knowledge and learn more from others. There is nothing that I could say or do to earn your trust right now, so I ask you for a time to earn it. Now our time is short since he's surely eaten most of the pancakes. He'll be up here soon to see what's keeping you back, so ask me one final question.'_

Marth still didn't know how to respond or how to handle this situation, she didn't even know if she could trust Mora, however if she could ask one question, "Can I trust Copper?"

Mora gave a soft laugh, _'Can you trust him? A simple question but an understandable one. I doubt you will find anyone more loyal than him. You may trust him.'_ With that Mora bowed his head and disappeared.

The moment Mora was gone there was a knock on the door and Coppers voice could be heard from the other side, "You ready yet? I saved you some bancakes… no wait pancakes that's the word." Marth could only rub the sides of her head as she felt a headache forming, _'This is not what I expected when I came here.'_ Quickly getting her gear in order Marth opened the door and went downstairs.

Once she was downstairs Mary came up to her and asked, "Oh there you are! Are you feeling better? We made some breakfast so come sit down and eat."

Marth was feeling guilty for taking advantage of the old couples hospitatlity and was about to refuse when Mary began dragging her to the table. For her age Mary was strong and before she know it Marth had been dragged to the table, pushed down onto a chair, and a plate of pancakes was placed in front of her. Even though Mary had made them both feel welcomed, Marth didn't feel right eating and tried excusing herself from the table.

Noticing this, Copper said, "If you feel guilty because you don't feel worthy of this meal, don't worry… I did some chores around the shop."

Turning around Marth could see Copper standing by the window sharpening his sword. _'How did I not see him there?'_ But despite his words she didn't feel any less guilty about eating but Mary kept insisting and eventually Marth gave in. As she ate she listened ask Copper talked to the couple. The conversation shifted from life of shopkeepers to their daughter who was serving in the Pegasus Regiment that patrolled the borders. After a few minutes of conversation Marth excused herself and told the couple that they would be leaving soon. The old couple tried to give Marth a small sack of rations, which she refused but Copper gladly accepted with a promise to visit next time they were back in the city. After a quick exchange of good-byes and the duo left for the main gate.

As Copper and Marth approached the main gate they were stopped by a crowd of people being held back from an alleyway where two guards were kept people out. Curious Marth asked a young lady what was going on.

"You haven't heard? Apparently some low lives were trying to kidnap some poor soul and out of nowhere someone or something saved her. Rumor has it that whatever it was it made a real mess of those thugs and everyone wants to know what happened… stuff like this doesn't happen around here."

An old man piped in, "It's the Grimleal I say… Probably planning to sacrifice that poor girl for that stupid lizard…"

"I heard it was a Tagul!"

"No, have you seen the damage to the alley walls... only a Manakete can cause that much damage."

"It had to be Naga delivering divine retribution to those Grimleal."

"Naga wouldn't do something this drastic to deal with them."

The crowd quickly fell into bickering with each other as they each chimed in what they thought had occurred but seeing how she didn't have anything to say and she wasn't going to get to see the alleyway Marth caught Coppers attention and motioned for them to leave.

For the first two hours they traveled in relative silence with Copper occasionally stopping to pick flowers or collect some random objects. For the most part, Marth didn't pay it any mind but she did have a few more questions she still wanted to ask Copper, and now was as good as any, "Copper… before you met me what were you doing?"

"What was I doing? I think I was laying on the floor in the forest, but before I was fighting some weird purple glowing people."

"Those were once people… Now they have been reduced to something we call a risen… husks of what they once were."

"Risen huh? So it's something to do with necromancy… and with the state of the Risen this necromancy is rubbish… rubbish that's the word for bad right?"

"Wait what is this necromancy you speak of?"

"... the normal kind of necromancy. You do know what necromancy is don't' you?"

"I've read more than a few magic books and yet I have never heard of necromancy. But it's something I don't know about so perhaps we can use it against the risen."

"Well Demdriik the simple explanation is that necromancy is the magic of death… no that's not right... True necromancy focuses on controlling life. The standard necromancer is someone raising the dead to do their bidding. Most frown upon it, let the dead rest in peace and all that. But I don't know of any way to stop these risen, other than stabbing them to death... again."

"I see… that is unfortunate if there was another way to stop the Risen, I'm sure you would… Well if you don't know then I guess you don't know. What did you do with your armor and where did you get that outfit? I've never seen that design in Ylisse."

"Well my armor is safely put away and this outfit was a gift. Can I ask, where did you get your outfit from? I mean no offense but you look like a blueberry. You know, there is such a thing as too much of one color."

"You say too much of one color but you're wearing all black. This was a gift from my mother and it's made to look like the Hero-Kings outfit. So I would prefer if you don't compare it to a blueberry."

"So this Hero King looked like a blueberry? Every second this place gets stranger, tell me about this hero king, sounds interesting."

The idea of someone not knowing who or about the Hero King shocked Marth enough that she let the blueberry comparison slide, "You mean you've never heard about the hero king?"

Letting out a small laugh Copper replied, "Well you've never heard about necromancy so let's hear the story."

The Hero King's story must have been something that interested Marth greatly as she told Copper about how he was forced into exile when his homeland was invaded. He returned to his homeland and began liberating various conquered kingdoms as he gathered allies. She went into great detail of how he defeated a dragon named Medeus and the eventual unification of the kingdoms into one." Finishing her tale Marth couldn't help but smile. The tales of the Hero King were her favorite and never failed to make her smile.

Copper was impressed, "So this Hero King is an important figure, I guess. Reminds me of the Champion of Cyrodiil."

The mention of this Champion caught Marth's attention, "I've always admired the Hero Kings strength and courage. I hoped that one day that I could match him in those regards. But I've told you enough about our hero, why not tell me about this champion. We still have a few hours of traveling left."

Copper talked about how the Champion had, like most of the great heros of his homeland, woke up as a prisoner. The champion was entrusted by the Emperor to find his last son and deliver the Amulet of Kings to him. Copper proudly told of how the Champion fought behind enemy lines to save the city of Kavtch and how she found the emperor's son living as a monk. Copper even took the time to recount how the Champion united her homeland to fight the Deadra in the battle of Bruma He explained how in the end how the Champion faced the deadra's leader and the emperor's son self sacrifice to save his homeland. Copper eventually ended his tale on how the Champion was respected and loved throughout her homeland, but one day, she just disappeared. After that Copper just stopped talking, as if he had said something that he shouldn't have.

"Copper what's wrong?"

He took his time but eventually said, "I was just thinking of my, LOOK OUT!"

Copper quickly pushed Marth away as a volley of arrows impacted the ground where they had just been standing. In the distance a couple of figures coated in a purple mist were walking towards them. Three had bows while another two carried swords, and behind them was a massive figure carrying a large battle axe.

Noticing the figures Marth cried"RISEN" and drawing her sword Marth began charging the two sword wielders while Copper followed close behind her. A second volley of arrows was sent but using her speed Marth dodged out of the way. Closing in on the sword wielders Marth used her momentum and brought her sword down in an overhead swing. The Risen made no move to stop the blade and didn't react when Marth's sword cleaved deep into its neck. As Marth tore her blade free, Copper forced his blade into the Risens face finishing it off.

Grabbing the body, Copper used it as a meat shield as the third volley of arrows thudded into it.

Throwing the body towards the last sword wielder Copper quickly cleaved its head from its body and turned towards the archers.

Seeing Copper run towards the archers, Marth started following him but was cut off by the Risen carrying the battle axe. The brute was slow and after dodging one of it's swings Marth drove her sword into the creature. As she expected, it didn't respond to the wound and Marth was forced to move out of the way as it swung at her again. It was a repetitive process of dodging and stabbing but eventually the wounds caught up to the creature and it fell. Looking to where the archers had been Marth could see Copper attempting to pick up a bow only for it to crumble to dust and for him to cry out in what sounded like frustration.

"Well… this was a waste of time." Seeing that Marth was finished with her foe Copper turned around and said to her "Well that was fun… I'm guessing these are Risen… All they did was slow us down … Dimdriick I should've asked this ages ago but WHERE are we going and what are we planning to do there?"

Moving past the brief encounter Marth explained that they were heading to Regna Ferox to try and meet with some people. Despite the vague answer Copper just nodded and returned to his routine of picking random objects up as they traveled.

The duo spent the next few hours traveling in relative silence with the only sounds coming from Copper as he gathered random treasures, such as flowers, mushrooms, and just about anything he could grab as they walked. Marth had ignored it for the first few hours but now she was curious about where he was storing everything since it didn't seem like he had enough pouches to carry it all but it didn't seem important enough to ask about and she kept the question to herself. The surrounding environment had slowly changed. The majestic oaks had been replaced by hardy pine trees, the lush grass slowly overtaken by snow, the warm air had gone cold, and the sounds of songbirds were replaced by the low humming sounds of the wind. They were on the outskirts of Ferox and now they had to pass through The Long fort.

Seeing it the distance, Marth got Copper's attention and said, "We need to get through quietly. So let me do most of the talking but I may need you to back my story up."

"If you want to get through quietly why not go around or just sneak through?"

"Going around it would take us into untamed forests with wolfs, bears, and who knows how long it would take for us to get through the deep snow. Not even bandits would risk traveling that way. As for sneaking through, I thought about it but with the two of us, it would be easier to simply go through."

Copper gave a short nod and slowed down his pace so he walked alongside Marth.

Approaching the fort, a heavily armored soldier stopped them and asked, "State your name and business in Ferox."

Marth could see a few soldiers watching from the fort itself and most looked eager for something to do, hopefully she would be able to talk her way through this after all she knew that the feroxi enjoyed fighting. "My name is Marth and this is Conrad. We were in Ylisse acting as bodyguards for a traveling merchant. As for our business here, we want to see the tournament."

The guard took a moment to look over the duo, "Marth and Conrad you say? Well, I'm sorry to say this, but unless you have a contract from the merchant or any documents verifying your story I can't allow you to pass. We've had one too many bandit attacks."

"But sir the tournament is in three days. If we were to travel back and return with a contract we would miss it."

"I have my orders sir I'm sorry. Like I said we've had a number of bandit attacks and we have to take care especially with the tournament coming up. I'll say it again if you have anything to verify your story then I'd let you through but you don't so I can't."

The two quickly began to argue, as Marth tried to convince the guard to let them through. The guard seemed steadfast in not allowing them through. Looking along the top of the fort Copper saw that a small crowd of soldiers had gathered to watch the argument, which was likely the only entertainment that had all day. He could see most of the soldiers talking and joking amongst themselves but he could see one pair of soldiers that stuck out. One was a woman with short cropped blond hair wearing heavy armor and from he could tell the other soldier was explaining the situation. Turning his attention back to Marth he could see that she hadn't gotten anywhere and the argument was going in circles. Copper would

have spoken had someone else not beaten him to it.

"Thaddeus what is going on down there"."

Looking up Copper could see the heavily armored woman approaching the small group, from the way the soldier jumped this woman was a commanding officer. He could also see that the crowd of soldiers had grown and an excited murmur was going throughout the crowd.

"Sorry ma'am but they have no supporting documents to prove who they are. They claim to have been in Ylisstol acting as merchant bodyguards."

"Alright my name is Raimi and I'm the captain of this fort. The both of you claim to be hired guards? Well what I see are two simple travelers wearing black and blue. Besides the terrible choice in clothing you don't seem the fighting type and with your faces covered I'm not inclined to trust the two of you."

Copper took a moment to look over his clothing while Marth spoke up, "I'm sorry about the masks but I have a good reason for it."

Raimi didn't seem convinced, "Oh and what would that be? Trying to hide your identity, not wanting to be recognized? I'm not sure if you've heard but there have been bandit attacks lately and you're looking more and more like one trying to get through."

"What no I just-" Marth was interrupted by Copper's hand grabbing her shoulder.

"Forgive us but my friend does have a good reason for the mask. When we were young we lived in a small village called Riverwood. It was a small town with nothing of value besides a log mill but that didn't stop bandits from raiding us. I was lucky to escape with minor injuries while my friend was badly burned. The mask helps hide the burns from unwanted stares."

Raimi took a moment to regard Copper before replying, "Burns you say? Well that that explains her mask but it doesn't explain yours."

"Oh my mask I wear it because It's cold."

That seemed to throw Raimi off, "... Are you serious?"

"Yes but regarding the merchant we were protecting, we don't have any paperwork, but I do have this."

Taking a piece of paper out of his cloak, Copper handed it over to Raimi. She looked it over for a few seconds before handing it back. "So you two were the ones who dealt with that bandit group huh? They've targeted a few of our traders who were doing business in Ylisse so they will be happy to hear about this. But I can't let you through without at least seeing your face. If your friend wants to do that in private that's fine but I want to see your face now."

Marth felt a knot in her stomach as she heard what was going on. She didn't have burns on her face and who knows what would happen when Raimi saw that. Looking up she could see Copper stand in front of her and pull down his mask. From where she was standing she wasn't able to see his face and from the way he moved in front of her it was no accident. A small nod from Raimi was given and she could see him pull the mask back up. She wanted to say something about him hiding his face from her but now wasn't the time. She could see Raimi now looking at her and was gesturing to a corner where she could take the mask off in private. As she tried to think of a way out of this she felt Copper grab her shoulders and whispered to her,

"Don't worry. As far as she'll know you'll have burns on your face. Trust... me."

As he whispered she swore she felt something enter her but before she had a chance to question him Copper pushed her towards Raimi. With no other choice but to trust her companion Marth slowly reached up and removed her mask.

Marth could see Raimi's face change from a stern look to one of horror but after taking a second to composer herself Raimi said, "By the gods…. you can put the mask back on. I'm sorry I had no idea the burns were that… never mind, I just need to record where you two are going for our records and then you can go on through. You are heading to Arena Ferox right?"

Putting the mask back on Marth answered, "Yes we were hoping to be there for the tournament."

"It would seem that is the case for most people. We've had plenty of merchants come through here to set up around the arena. Of course most have documentation of who they are and their business but there are a few who don't. Now a storm is brewing in the north so you can wait it out here or if you leave now you should make it to a town a few minutes travel from here.

Looking to the north Marth could see the beginnings of a storm, "We wouldn't want to trouble you so we'll take our chances."

Raimi gave a small nod of approval and started ordering the soldiers to get back to their stations. Copper immediately fell into line next to Marth and with a small nod the duo set off.

Authors Notes:

Yes I am alive and feeling very guilty that I have not updated this in so long. I'm working hard to try and get the next chapter finished but i'm not really happy with anything I try so it might take a while or i might just put it out and move on with it. But here we go the story continues and all that jazz so like, comment, and subscribe. But really feedback would be nice cause I feel as if I have too much chit chatting.

Also if you kept reading this expect nothing from the duo next chapter.


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